Fake Engine Sounds: BlackBerry And Automakers Working To Rev Up Driving Sounds

TORONTO - For car lovers, there is just something about a revving engine that gets the blood moving faster.

Now automakers can capitalize on that feeling by teaming with a division of BlackBerry that is developing a way to replicate the sound of yesteryear's driving experience, even as cars become quieter and more fuel efficient.

QNX Software Systems — acquired by BlackBerry (TSX:BB) nearly four years ago — debuted a couple of concept cars on Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

One is a modified Kia Soul hatchback that showcases a new technology called "engine sound enhancement." In its most basic form, it's a soundtrack that simulates the engine both inside the car and for people on the outside through speakers.

QNX is also displaying a modified Mercedes CLA45 that has an "infotainment" system built into the dashboard. The technology utilizes speech recognition and supports applications on the Android Jellybean operating system.

QNX sales and marketing vice-president Derek Kuhn said the sound simulator in the Kia is aimed at drivers who want a car that is better for the environment but still maintains a sporty feel. In electric cars, the sound can also help prevent accidents with pedestrians who don't hear the engine.

The technology is an answer to the requests from vehicle manufacturers who have managed to lighten the weight of their models over the years by removing insulation and other parts that have grown to be unnecessary.

"Unfortunately when you take insulation out ... it starts to add strange noises that you've never really heard before in cars," Kuhn said in a phone interview from Vegas.

"Adding a very careful soundtrack to how you develop that emotion within the cabin is important."

For automakers, it's crucial to get a vehicle's sound right, Kuhn said. If a car doesn't make the right noises, then often drivers will think something is wrong with it.

The challenge is that every automaker wants a different sound, and the purr — or roar — of an engine can be as much an act of branding as it's an exercise in authenticity.

Kuhn said one manufacturer was very particular when it asked musicians to enter a recording studio.

"They wanted their car to sound like the cross between a certain brand of bass guitar and a snow leopard," he said.

"Different companies have different opinions. Some of them just want a certain kind of exhaust note."

The QNX technology in the Mercedes includes an app that operates on HTML5 — one of the programming languages used to create web pages — and allows drivers to control the windows, door locks and car stereo from a key fob.

The car offers a preview of what's to come in the next five years for the automotive industry.

Manufacturers like Chrysler, Fiat and Honda already use QNX software in vehicles on the roads today, including the company's echo and noise cancellation technology designed for hands-free smartphones.

In 2013, QNX software was shipped in 11.6 million vehicles around the world, Kuhn said.

Developing new ideas for automakers is a key part of the future of QNX, but the company isn't without its challengers.

Google threw its name into the mix on Monday with the promise of an Android-based system developed in partnership with Audi, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and graphics processor Nvidia called the Open Automotive Alliance.

Together, the companies aim to make it easier for drivers to connect their Android operated phones to their car's audio system.

QNX has dedicated its business to tinkering with these intricacies in the world of complex computer software — but the company isn't just about the automotive industry.

In the health care industry, QNX software is built into the diagnostics of blood analytics systems some defibrillators and X-ray machines. The U.S. military has software developed by the company running in its submarines. And in Las Vegas, security software from QNX is deep inside slot machines.

When BlackBerry purchased QNX in 2010, the developer began designing the smartphone operating system that would become the platform for BlackBerry 10 phones.

BlackBerry was falling behind competitors like Google and Apple who were rapidly advancing with their own phones, which ran application technology that would cripple older BlackBerry devices.

"It was a massive win for BlackBerry because they needed an operating system," said Kris Thompson, a technology analyst at National Bank.

"That saved their bacon."

On Tuesday, BlackBerry shares rose 7.4 per cent, or 63 cents, to close at $9.14 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

___

For more BlackBerry coverage, follow David Friend on Twitter.

http://www.twitter.com/dj_friend

Also on The Huffington Post

Close



5 Signs BlackBerry Is Desperate

of





At the BlackBerry 10 launch event, CEO Thorsten Heins introduced singer Alicia Keys as the company's new global creative director.
Sure, Keys is a familiar and likable face to hawk your product -- but how has writing "Girl On Fire" prepared her for a creative director role? Adding to the awkward is that she's a prolific Twitter user from her iPhone and Instagram's quite a bit, a program which isn't available on BlackBerry's new operating system yet. She claimed at the event that she'd been lured back into the BlackBerry fold by the new phones.

Kevin Michaluk, owner of the premier BlackBerry fansite and blog "CrackBerry" had promised to not cut his hair until the release of BlackBerry 10. Considering there were a few delays along the way, Michaluk had a nice batch of lettuce going. Though a nice gesture of his dedication, the reaction in house was timid. Pageviews for Crackberry.com have seen a steady dip.

In an effort to build hype for the announcement of BlackBerry's new operating system and phones, the company released this video one day before the launch. The video involved a cable controlled jump with Alec Saunders, BlackBerry's VP of developer relations, and BlackBerry exec Marty Mallick. During the jump Mallick lets out a barely enthusiastic "BlackBerry 10 ruleeesssss!"
The video only had 6,000 views prior to the launch event.

During the BlackBerry 10 launch event, it was revealed that Research In Motion or RIM, BlackBerry's creator, would be changing its name to...BlackBerry. More than anything this seems to signal that the BlackBerry is all or nothing for what was formerly RIM -- they have nothing to fall back on.

Many Twitter users were quick to point out the launch of BlackBerry 10 to another doomed launch, that of the the Palm Pre for Palm. The company announced the new phone and OS in January 2009, only to be scooped up by Hewlett Packard in April 2010.